Tram out, Cable Car in for Pattaya?

[Gaybutton]

Cable car system proposed by Pattaya City officials to solve Pattaya traffic problems

By Goongnang Suksawat

15 December, 2022

Pattaya City is proposing to solve traffic problems in the area with a cable car system.

A meeting was held yesterday (December 14th) and was led by the Pattaya City Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai and the head of Public Works of Pattaya City, Mr. Christ Cherdsuriya.

Swiss Advice Company presented the idea to Pattaya City. These cable cars are technology from BARTHOLET, a leading international company from Switzerland that specializes in cable and ropeway systems. Cable cars can transfer thousands of passengers per hour. The technology is best suited for Pattaya City to solve traffic problems and would be designed, implemented, and maintained by BARTHOLET.

The construction cost is not too high and needs less space than other proposals. The construction can also be done at night time which can reduce the effects to current traffic.

It is worth to invest and benefits a lot of users with cheap passenger fees, although a specific fee and pricing structure were not yet presented. The cable car can carry up to ten passengers at a time as well as be available for disabled people, said Swiss Advice Company representatives.

There will be three proposed routes for cable cars which would be along Pattaya Beach Road, Koh Larn, and Thap Phraya Hill. The project and proposal are expected to move forward early next year at which point budgets would be formally presented to the Pattaya City Council and relevant agencies. The Pattaya News will provide updates on this project and proposal as it moves forward.

The Pattaya News notes that plans for a monorail or tram are also still being discussed but the cable car system, long proposed to go directly up Thap Phraya Hill and connect Bali Hai Pier to the Pattaya City sign area, has now been looked at as a cheaper, easier to construct alternative.

Reactions to the plan on social media, however, were tepid with many readers doubting the project would ever get off the ground, pun intended.

Story and photos: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/12/15/c ... -problems/

[Jun]

I haven't looked much, but the only example I've seen of cities using cable cars as serious public transport was in one very mountainous South American city (seen on TV). Perhaps there are reasons for not having more widespread adoption ?

Pattaya only has one serious hill and even here, most of the roads up it are not steep. I note Lisbon manages to operate a tram and metro network in a fairly hilly city.

If Pattaya got rid of the baht buses and replaced them with proper buses, bus stops and bus lanes that would be a very good step towards solving the traffic problem. Just yesterday I was in traffic jam caused by baht buses stopped 3 abreast outside Central.
Then start discouraging cars. That works elsewhere in the world.

[BKKDreamer]

"The cable car can carry up to ten passengers at a time as well as be available for disabled people..."

--> this seems ridiculous - this capacity level is WAY too low. If the idea is to keep those humongous tour buses out of the congested city center - and let us say that one of those buses holds 50 passengers - then 5 separate cable cars would be required to move 1 tour bus. Common - they can't be serious.
Just yesterday, I was walking back from Central Festival to Tuk.com and 2nd road was completely backed up and at a standstill. Do you know why? There were 4 humongous tour buses that were closing 2nd road because these 4 buses needed to reverse park into a hotel with a too small of a parking lot. This went on for more than 20 minutes. Totally crazy!!!

"There will be three proposed routes for cable cars which would be along Pattaya Beach Road, Koh Larn, and Thap Phraya Hill."

--> Does Koh Larn really need a cable car ? When I was there last month - there was NO traffic congestion and it was quite calm and pleasant moving around by motorbike.
What is really needed is some type of tram system from Jomtien into Pattaya city and I am sure that many other destinations need to be included (Wongamat, Dark Side, etc.)

[Jun]

What is really needed is some type of tram system from Jomtien into Pattaya city and I am sure that many other destinations need to be included (Wongamat, Dark Side, etc.)

Exactly. Copy what is proven to work. Don't take risks with daft ideas.

[Gaybutton]

Would the cable cars be enclosed? If they are, I hope they're air conditioned. If they're not, they'll be loads of fun when we get hit with those sudden torrential rain storms.

Will they run 24 hours a day or will service stop just when it's really needed?

I wonder who the first person to fall out of one will be.

I wonder how many people will get stuck and for how long every time the system breaks down.

Don't be surprised if they put in a tram and cable cars - with none of them going or stopping anywhere near where you really need to go.

My guess is whatever decisions are made, it will depend on how much is going into the pockets of the right brother-in-law . . .

[Jun]

I just saw another cable car article and followed up on the example in Koblenz. Predictably, that goes from the city centre on one side of the Rhine to the Fort on the hill on the other side. Eur 9 one way, operating in the tourist season only. A good way to cross a wide river, at a price.
The real public transport system is a full bus network, connected to the train station.

I suppose a Pattaya cable car might be good for getting a few fat lazy tourists up the hill to see Buddha. That leaves plenty of scope to introduce a proper bus or tram network in the rest of the city.